Our four standard online-bookable tours are 90 minutes in length and are moderate, level walks for all abilities. All tours are designed as loops with unique start points, ending at the same place where you meet your guide. The Nob Hill and Slabtown tours are offered back to back so guests can have the opportunity to experience the upper-class and working-class sections of our neighborhood on the same day.

SLABTOWN TOUR

Slabtown gets its name from slab wood — the rounded, exterior parts of logs cut away to square off lumber — produced as a popular form of heating fuel in the early 1900s by lumber mills of the neighborhood. We share with you numerous historic images of lost buildings and take you past existing historic sites, including the former sites of the Vaughn Street Ballpark, the entrance of the 1905 Lewis & Clark Fair, and the world's greatest log cabin.

The tour is offered on Thursdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. Private tours can be scheduled for any time of day by email request. All tours require 24-hour advanced reservations for individuals and gift card holders.More info >

NOB HILL - ALPHABET DISTRICT TOUR

The Nob Hill Tour walks guests beside some of the grand merchant homes of the 1890s and apartments built for the post Lewis and Clark building boom. The tour loops back to the starting point along the "Trendy 23rd" Street Shopping district, highlighting the evolution of this early streetcar commercial corridor. Nob Hill was named after the San Francisco area, and has become one of Portland's trendiest shopping areas, known for fabulous tax-free shopping.

This 90-minute tour is offered twice a week year-round, every Saturday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Exceptions made for extreme weather or illness, hence day-ahead reservations are required.More info >

HISTORIC HOMES TOUR

The route of this tour varies depending on group interests and requests. In all, we feature 40 historic homes and interesting sites located east of Northwest 23rd Avenue between NW Couch and NW Kearney streets. Each of our tours highlights at least 25 homes within the 90-minute guided history walk. The tour is scheduled on Sundays at 2 p.m., on various dates.More info >

HAUNTED NORTHWEST HISTORY TOUR

Experience Portland's paranormal heritage as we investigate several local ghost stories gathered from homeowners, alienists, and newspaper accounts. The tour stops at three locations where the spirits are known to be less than peaceful. This tour takes place on Halloween, Fridays and Saturdays in the last two weeks of October, and every Friday the 13th.More info >

Testimonials

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So much fun! I love old houses and stories with intrigue, so this tour was perfect. We met our charismatic guide at the library to begin the tour. It was so neat to walk by a building and have her tell a story about a specific aspect of it which really brought history alive. I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in the history of Portland, beautiful architecture, and looking for a fun time.

M —Berkeley, CA

Portland: One of the best ways to get to know the city is via walking tours. Put Slabtown Tours on your radar for when you have visiting friends or family or just want to get out and about and know a little more of the Portland story. Tanya is an amazing resource of knowledge...history and local lore that should be shared with every Portlander.

Carye ByeAustin, TX

Tanya is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to historical buildings in Portland! Highlighting both flashy and gritty facts, her tours cover many eras. This is a can’t-miss if you like hearing the history behind the city you are enjoying. (And ask her about local museum displays — she points you to all the best ones!)

History Fun Facts

Did a cat once own a building on NW 23rd? No. Nina Churchman Larowe did not leave her building to a cat that is an urban myth. She bequeathed the theater building on NW 23rd valued at $25,000 to the...

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